:''This article is about a county of southeast Pennsylvania. For other uses, see [[Delaware (disambiguation)]]''

:''This article is about a county of southeast Pennsylvania. For other uses, see [[Delaware (disambiguation)]]''

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'''Delaware County, Pennsylvania''' genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

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{{PADC}}

{{Infobox U.S. County

{{Infobox U.S. County

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== Historical Facts ==

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== Delaware County Pennsylvania Historical Facts ==

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*'''Parent Counties''': Formed from [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]] County 26 September 1789.<ref name="HBG">[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;referer=brief_results ''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.''] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].</ref>

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*'''Parent Counties''': Formed from [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]] County 26 September 1789.<ref name="HBG">[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092 ''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.''] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].</ref>

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*'''County Seat:''' Media<br>

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*'''Neighboring Counties''': {{PAGENAME}}&nbsp;'''residents''' may also have records in <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Pennsylvania (accessed 17 July 2012).</ref>[[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]] (north){{•}}[[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]] (west){{•}}[[York County, Pennsylvania|York]] (south){{•}}[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] (east){{•}}[[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County, Delaware]] (southwest) {{•}}[[Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester County, New Jersey]] (south)

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*'''County Seat:''' Media

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[[Image:Padelaware.jpg|right|600px|Padelaware.jpg]]

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*'''Neighboring Counties''': {{PAGENAME}}&nbsp;'''residents''' may also have records in <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Pennsylvania (accessed 17 July 2012).</ref>[[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]] (north){{•}}[[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]] (west){{•}}[[York County, Pennsylvania|York]] (south){{•}}[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] (east){{•}}[[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County, Delaware]] (southwest) {{•}}[[Gloucester County, New Jersey|Gloucester County, New Jersey]] (south)

:*Named for the Delaware River<br>

:*Named for the Delaware River<br>

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'''1673-1674:''' A new war breaks out and the Dutch send a large armada to retake New Netherland for a few months. But as the war ends the colony is ceeded to England for the last time.<ref>"New Netherland" in Wikipedia.</ref>

'''1673-1674:''' A new war breaks out and the Dutch send a large armada to retake New Netherland for a few months. But as the war ends the colony is ceeded to England for the last time.<ref>"New Netherland" in Wikipedia.</ref>

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'''1680s:''' William Penn founded the English colony of Pennsylvania after receiving a grant in 1681 from the king of England. His colony offered religious freedom, liberal government, and inexpensive land. Quakers established the city of Philadelphia.

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'''1680s:''' William Penn founded the English colony of Pennsylvania after receiving a grant in 1681 from the king of England. His colony offered religious freedom, liberal government, and inexpensive land. Quakers established the city of Philadelphia.

The [http://www.dchs-pa.org/DCHS/Content/Museum/Museum.aspx Museum/Research Library of the History of Delaware County] holds a number of Church Records related to Delaware County. A search of these church records can be made by submitting a research request [http://www.dchs-pa.org/DCHS/Content/Museum/Research-My-Mail.pdf by mail].

:*'''1708-1985''' - [http://hsp.org/collections/catalogs-research-tools/members-only-database Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985] at [http://hsp.org/ Historical Society of Pennsylvania] – $, free to members of the society; Also available at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2451 Ancestry.com] – $; 7,542,774 entries. ''This database is incomplete for all counties.''

:*'''1708-1985''' - [http://hsp.org/collections/catalogs-research-tools/members-only-database Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985] at [http://hsp.org/ Historical Society of Pennsylvania] – $, free to members of the society; Also available at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2451 Ancestry.com] – $; 7,542,774 entries. ''This database is incomplete for all counties.''

:*[http://usgwarchives.net/pa/delaware/church.htm Delaware County Church Records] at [http://usgwarchives.net/pa/delaware/ Delaware County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives] including records for several churches.

The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. {{PAGENAME}} County has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.<ref>The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.</ref>

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====== Clerk of the Courts ======

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{{PA court2}}

====== Prothonotary ======

====== Prothonotary ======

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{{PA court3}}

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The Office of the Prothonotary in Delaware County has been merged into a new department called the Office of Judicial Support.

[http://ancestortracks.com/ Ancestor Tracks] has posted free downloadable image from the [http://ancestortracks.com/Delaware_Co_Warrantee_Atlas.html 1880 Atlas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Benjamin H. Smith]. &nbsp;This atlas located in the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. &nbsp;While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially. &nbsp;We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

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:*[http://ancestortracks.com/ Ancestor Tracks] has posted free downloadable image from the [http://ancestortracks.com/Delaware_Co_Warrantee_Atlas.html 1880 Atlas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Benjamin H. Smith]. &nbsp;This atlas located in the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. &nbsp;While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially. &nbsp;We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see [http://news.google.com/newspapers news.google.com/newspapers] and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

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To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see [http://news.google.com/newspapers news.google.com/newspapers] and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

:*[http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/ The Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library]

:*[http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/ The Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library]

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania#Newspapers|Newspaper heading]]

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Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania#Newspapers|Newspaper heading]]

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{{Tip|Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local [http://www.publiclibraries.com/ public library] in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.}}<br>

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{{Tip|Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local [http://www.publiclibraries.com/ public library] in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.}}<br>

The Delaware County Historical Society has been collecting and preserving items of the county's history. The research library contains an extensive collection of Bible, birth, burial, census, church, court, genealogical, land and marriage records, as well as maps, newspapers, telephone books, city directories, and yearbooks. The museum hosts four exhibits a year. <br>

:*'''Pre-1810''' – Pennsylvania Marriages [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2098 Ancestry.com] – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. It includes 35,000 marriage records from volume VIII of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.

===== Birth =====

===== Birth =====

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The following records are available at the [http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/depts/archives.html Delaware County Archives]:<br>

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:*'''1726-1930''' - {{RecordSearch|1681005|Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950}} - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.&nbsp;

:*'''1725-1976''' - {{RecordSearch|1681011|Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940}} - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

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:*'''Pre-1810''' – Pennsylvania Marriages [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2098 Ancestry.com] – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.

Revision as of 20:29, 14 August 2013

Delaware County, Pennsylvania genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

The County seat prior to 1851 was Chester City and it was county seat for Chester County, too.

Since 1851, the county seat has been Media.

1641: Swedes and Finns spreading north from Fort Christina (present-day Wlimington, Delaware) first settle in Finland (Chamassungh), now Trainer, Pennsylvania[3][4][5] and Upland (Meckopenacka), now Chester, Pennsylvania.[6][7][8] The New Sweden Colony continues to expand northward with new settlements as far as Philadelphia in the following years.

1651-1655: The New Netherland Colony builds Fort Casimir[9][10][11] (now New Castle, Delaware), settle Sandhook,[12][13][14] and abandon Fort Beversrede (now Philadelphia) in 1651. In 1654 New Sweden captures Fort Casimir from the Dutch without a fight and renames it Fort Trinty (Trefaldighets).[15] In 1655 New Netherland returns with a large army and all of New Sweden in presend-day Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey submits to Dutch rule.[16]

1664: As part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War New Netherland including southeast Pennsylvania is surrendered to the English.[17]

1673-1674: A new war breaks out and the Dutch send a large armada to retake New Netherland for a few months. But as the war ends the colony is ceeded to England for the last time.[18]

1680s: William Penn founded the English colony of Pennsylvania after receiving a grant in 1681 from the king of England. His colony offered religious freedom, liberal government, and inexpensive land. Quakers established the city of Philadelphia.

Census

There are no county or state census records available for Pennsylvania. County and city tax records can be used as a substitute when census records are not available.

1671 Transcription and Index

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. In Pennsylvania, church records are often used as a substitute for birth, marriage, and death information. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, view the Pennsylvania Church Records wiki page.

Court Records

Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy court records are housed at the Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Courthouse. For many counties copies of court records may be found at the Pennsylvania State Archives and in the FamilySearch collection. Note that within these collections some films may contain the same records, but have different titles. Other titles are not duplicates. See Finding Court Records at other repositories within this section for links to the online catalogs for these two collections. Films at the Pennsylvania State Archives are not available for inter-library loan. If court records are available FamilySearch films may be ordered at a local Family History Center.

Court of Common Pleas

The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy County has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.[21]

Clerk of the Courts

The Clerk of Courts prepares and maintains the records for the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk signs and affixes the Seal of the Courts to all writs and processes, administers oaths and affirmations, and assumes custody of the seal and records of the Courts. The Clerk certifies and distributes orders of the Court. The Clerk also certifies and prepares bills of costs for the defendants and utilizes the computerized financial management system to disburse fines, costs and restitution.[22] For the Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Clerk of Courts address see the Courthouse section on this page.

Prothonotary

The office of the Prothontary is the custodian of all civil matters in the county. This includes naturalization, immigration, equity actions, judgements, federal and local tax leins, city liens, family court, arbitrations, license suspension appeals, appeals to higher court, commercial code filings, applications for passports and divorce proceedings. See the Courthouse section on this page for the Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Prothonotary office information.

The Office of the Prothonotary in Delaware County has been merged into a new department called the Office of Judicial Support.

Orphan's Court (see Vital Records)

See Vital Records The Orphans' Court is responsible for a wide range of matters. The name of the Court is derived from the more general definition of "orphan," that being a person or thing that is without protective affiliation or sponsorship. This would include those not capable of handling their own affairs, minors, incapacitated persons, decedents estates, nonprofit corporations and trusts. It is the role of the Court to ensure that the best interests of the person or entity are not compromised.

It is believed the name of this court was borrowed from the Court of Orphans of the city of London, England which had the care and guardianship of children of deceased citizens, in their minority.[23]

For Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Orphans' Court contact information see the Courthouse section on this page.

If you are looking for a birth record between 1893 and 1906, please visit the Register of Wills department located at the Government Center.

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic Groups

Germans

Gazetteers

United States Geographic Survey Place Names - GNIS for Delaware County (over 1500)(may not always be present in alphabetic order on first try.)

Genealogy

History

Published Histories

Land and Property

Land records in Delaware County began in 1770. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Media, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

Maps

Click the image to view an enlarged version

Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable image from the 1880 Atlas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Benjamin H. Smith. This atlas located in the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

Migration

Military

Revolutionary War

Naturalization and Citizenship

Naturalization records can contain information about immigration and nativity. Prior to 1906, it is rare to find the town of origin in naturalization records. See Pennsylvania Naturalization for more information about the types of records and availability.

Naturalizations granted at the county level were kept by the office of the Prothonotary. Naturalizations could also be granted on the Federal Court level.

Obituaries

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local public library in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.

Occupations

Indentured Servants

Periodicals

Poorhouse, Almshouse

Probate Records

Probate matters in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created. To obtain original probate records, contact the Orphan's Court in the County Courthouse.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates of decedents, incompetents, and minors; appointment and control of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills involving probate matters; inheritance tax appeals and various petitions and motions.

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Delaware County, Pennsylvania Genealogy probate wills in online catalogs like:

The Pennsylvania Archivescollection contains county archive records that can be searched onsite. Currently the Archives' staff cannot provide research or make copies of these records. Their collections include Almshouse Registers; Tax records; Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes and Records; Midwife records; African American records; Wills; Deeds; Naturalizations; Coroner's inquests; and Orphan's Court dockets. A list of the Archive's county holdings are on Microfilm or Manuscript form.

The Delaware County Historical Society has been collecting and preserving items of the county's history. The research library contains an extensive collection of Bible, birth, burial, census, church, court, genealogical, land and marriage records, as well as maps, newspapers, telephone books, city directories, and yearbooks. The museum hosts four exhibits a year.

Vital records are handled by the County Orphans' Court. Between the years 1852-1855 Pennsylvania made a failed attempt to record birth, marriage and death events at the county level. While the records for that time period are available, there were few events recorded. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. Abstracts and copies of vital records are available for some counties, but most are incomplete. For the most complete set of records, always contact the County Orphans' Court.

Birth

1726-1930 - Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health for 1906 and 1907. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified Birth certificate can be obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Marriage

1725-1976 - Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania death records are available through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1962. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified death certificate can be obtained obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

↑ Albert Cook Myers, Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1912; reprint Barnes and Noble, 1959; digitized by Google, 2008), 69, note 3. "Chamassung or Finland, where the Finns dwelt, was on the west side of the Delaware River, between the present Marcus Hook in Pennsylvania, and the mouth of Naaman's Creek just over the circular state line in Delaware."

↑Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, v. 3, (Philadelphia:M'Carty and Davis, 1834; digitized by Google, 2006), 11. "Chamassungh, or Finland. This place was inhabited by Finns, who had strong houses, but no fort. It lies at the distance of two German miles, east of Christina, by water; and, by land, it is distant two long Swedish miles."

↑ Johnson, Swedish Settlements, 372. "Johann Companius, who was called by the government to go to New Sweden in 1642, was placed on the new budget, with a salary of 10 R.D. a month and seems to have been looked upon as a sort of military preacher. He was stationed at Christina, but shortly after his arrival here he was transferred to Upland, where he settled with his family and conducted the service at New Gothenborg."

↑ Myers, 150. "If now [the land at] Upland, which belongs to the Company, and is large enough for the sowing of twenty or thirty bushels of grain, might be given to the parsonage for Nertunius, together with the small houses there, it would be very well; then he would need no other salary from the Company." and footnote 4, "Now Chester."

↑ Johnson, Swedes on the Delaware, 294. "In October, Novermber, and December the new freemen were ordered to clear their lands at various places, for the purpose of planting maize in the coming spring; and several fields at Sandhook, at Fort Christina and up at the [Christina] River were cleared and sewn for the benefit of the company with the grain which Mr. Lord had brought in . . ."

↑ 19.019.119.219.3 Philip Syng Physick Conner,"Registers of the Anglican Church in Pennsylvania prior to 1800," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 12 (1888):341-349. For free online access, see WeRelate.